HiDee Mz Jeannie, & Ya have MY Sympathy. I, TOO, have a LOUSY Memory..Even Immortalized It in a Song..here's da Chorus:

I FORGOT THE WORDS TO THIS SONG
JUST when Things were GOIN' SO STRONG!
My Synapses had Lapses
& I'm Here on My Ass, 'Cuz
I FORGOT THE WORDS TO THIS SONG! (c) 200& Somethin' By Me.

(I was ALSO Un-Able to MEMORIZE The Lyrics to THIS ONE..which I'd planned on Performin' Immediately AFTER Blowin' a Song Onstage.)

I take Solace in Knowing that Babs Streisand hadda use SEVEN TelePrompTers when she did her show in Tampa recently.

My Grannie died from Alzheimer's Complications...so...when Phizer announced a "Short Term Memory Loss Study" I signed up. Quizzes, Blood Samples, Free Brain Scan...Results: NO Onset of Alzheimner's in my Addlepated Brain..BUT a Vitamin B-12 Deficiency..WHICH "Impacted Memory-Capacity" (& Eliminated me from the Study..heh!)

So..Doc's Advice: "Go to a Health Food Store & get some Sub-Lingual B-12 Tablets." Which I did...BUT made me kinda hyper-active..& other than the "Dumbo's Magic Feather Effect", I don't think Helped Me Memorize any better than before.

Last couple of Frank Sinatra Concerts I attended, Ol' Blue Eyes were scannin' a THICK Book of Lyrics on a Stand, too... Last STONES Concert, I saw a BIG sheet of Brown Paper on the Stage FLOOR with TONS of Notes Scrawled on it...in black marker..BIG lettering.

I've last several years simply Sung OVER my CDS since I, alas, have NO Band...& IF I forget a word, it's THERE on the Tracks ALREADY.

And...(Last Resort)...IF I'd ever Sing for A LIVING, unlikely as it's getting to be at this late date, I'd make My Handicap a Part of The Act: I'd frankly Hold a Lyric Sheet UP for each Song, sing from it, fold it into a Paper Airplane/Sail it Off Into The Crowd after Each Song..& Voila...Instant "Souvenier".

Practice doesn't ALWAYS "Make Perfect". Because not EVERYONE CAN memorize Equally-Well. Just remember some of the "BIGGEST & BEST" Do NOT have the Best Memories EITHER.

Oh..I'll add..having a Drink before Performing used to REALLY Kill-Off my Memory, too. (Coffee MIGHT help a bit...might NOT too, so Experiment a wee bit!)

Good Luck with it!
Big Hugs,
Stan